Apparatus for the treatment of metal and like articles with liquids or vapors for degreasing



w. F. JESSON 2,385,860

TMENT OF METAL AND LIKE ARTIC WITH LIQUIDS OR VAPORS FOR DEGREASING Flled Aprll 29, 1942 OctQZ, 1945.

LES

APPARATUS FOR THE TREA FIGURE FIGURE 2 INVENTOR. WALTER F. JESSON efieh A TTORNEY.

, vent such 88 ap aratus only a comparatively small volume of solvent is needed although treatmentiii/ eilected throughoutwith' clean solvent.

One form or our'invention, as,a treatment of trichloroethylene, will now be delied to the articles with a volati e grease solscnbed it e en to the accompa yi diaei Inthese diagrams:

1 represents a secti anapparatus, and Fig. 2 represents a set onal elevation 01 part elevation of such "or the apparatus at right, ansles to Fig. 1 along the line A-A.

In these drawings like numerals represent like The apparatus comprises an open tank I ha vf ing a bottoin 2 sloping downto a sump 3 at one onthecondensing coils th m which it will be vided by which articles discharged at" maybe delivered to a suitable destination.

In using the apparatus the horizontal portion 1,13 oi thetrough and the sump t'are filled with solvent, e. g. trichloroethylene. The condensing means-are then put into operation, and the solvent in the sump is heated to keep itin steady ebullition. Initially some oi the vapor generatdwill condense on the conveyor andwill 'iall oi! on-to new land pass thence again into sump}. but

themain portion or the solventwill be condensed delivered, via channel I, receiver ill, and pipe ll,

tothe horizontalportion II of'thetrough. The

end. In the sump I is a steam coil 4 by .whicli'f solvent in the sump can be vaporised and around the inside of the walls of the tank I are disposed condensing cells I which can be supplied with r water or other cooling liquid by means not shown.

Thesepcoils are rather morethan halt-way up the walls, and when in operation willset an upper limit .to the vapor zone'created by the generation ot vapor in sumpl by'causing the vapor to condense on them. 1 A channel Sis provided around the walls ofthe tankv immediately below coiis i r to catch condensate falling from the coils and deliverit toa receiver l0, and thence to pipe ,iorthe purpose'to be described hereinafter. To convey articles to be treated through the tank is a trough, U-shaped insection, and formed of r a horizontal portion l3 below the level oi. coils 5,

a portion l2 sloping upwards to one'end of the tank and a portion ll sloping upwards to the other end or the tank: the central portion l3 thus forms with the lower part of portions 12 and I4 a vessel which can be filled with liquid up to "the rimiof the portion It. Pipe II is arranged to deliver condensate from receiver ill'intothis;

vessel. An endless travelling chain 'Iis disposed so. that it passes throughtheapparatus close in 1 turn to the respectiveportionsli', II and ot the trough by means of tour sprocket wheels 8, 8,. 8, 8. There is one sprocket in 'each oi the angles i'ormedbythe horizontal portion and the respective sloping portions, and one a short distance above each endoi the trough. The lower sprockets run on spindles 'l 5 whose ends are seated in bearings IS on the inside walls of the tank,

' while-the upper spindles are supported in analogousiashion by means not shown. Alternatively, 1 all iour spindles could have been supported by a common frame which in turn couldbe fixed to the tank, or supported independently of it. In

eitherv event, one of the upper sprockets can be driven by a suitable source of power not shown,

7 v and thejremainder'are idlel fl'he endless chain can thus'be caused to move. in the directior 'oi' the'arrows; Atinterv'als along the length or the travelling chains are grid-like'memberst rigidly fixed at right angles to it, so that in that portion of the path or the chain within theapparatus the grids project into the trough. The grids are shaped to occupy the major portionoi the cross section otthetrough, V. .Th'e endlesschain 1, the grids 8 andthe trough solvent thus delivered to portion [I solvent already in it to overilowiqatv fall on tov the floor and thus back point by resting it on the grid, and, it'will; then be carried between that grid and the 1'ollowing' one down portion l 2 in the lower part or which it will receive a short vapor treatment. In the horizontal portion l3 it will be treated withliquid solvent as it is pushed along by the grid immediately behind it, and finally it will pass, upslopin8 portion ll oil the trough when it will-dry ofi'in thespace above coils 5. On reachingopening II it 'will slide oil. the'grid' supporting'it and 7 down chute IB -and the grid will travel around 7 againto the other side of the apparatus. 7 Cup-shaped articles comparable in sire (but smaller'than) the'compartments formed by adiacent' grids attached tothe conveyor and the trough can be treated satisfactorily by inserting them with the orifice of'the cup? upwards. They will' thus pass through the apparatus with this orifice'always in the rear.. As a result it is assured that air will not be trapped in it and prevent the wholeof the; interiorbeing reached by the solvent, and moreover that when the article is withdrawn liquid solvent will not be retainedbut will drain out as the article is moved out of the horizontal portion of the trough.

Many variations of the invention are-possible for example, spray means may be provided ,to

spray the goods as they leave the bath of solvent. 'Again, instead of inserting:the trough in aneuclosing tank, the-ends and bottom of the tank may be shaped to form the trough in whichthe conveyor moves solvent vapor then; being gen-' erated in a separate stilllncommunication with the trough-shaped tank. .In still further forms of our invention the tank may be closed except 7 for the openings through which the goods-are inserted or-removed. Again, several'trougha-each r withits own conveyor, may be provided side by side'in the sametank or a wide trough m'aybe used with a conveyor capable of receiving several articles side by side between successive prola una members.

into which the latter project together form. the

means for conveying articlegthroughtheapparatus', the inlet being at the upper end It of the sloping portion l2, and the exit at the upperf end 7 ll oithe sloping portion I l. A cnute ,l lfiis p I claim:

1. Apparatus for treating metal and likenon- V absorbent articles with a volatile grease solvent,

' comprising, in combination, a vessel, a solvent degreasing zone in said vessel in which is retained, in bothliquid and vaporous state, a volatile greasesolvent, and through which articles pass d l i s their treatment'in said vessel and de greasing zone, means for vaporizing said solvent, additional means for condensing the vaporized solvent when the vaporized material reaches a predetermined level in the degreasing zone of said vessel, means for returning condensate from said condensing means to the portion of the volatile solvent in said degreasing zone which is in liquid state, a trough disposed in said vessel, the extremities of said trough extending above said solvent degreasing zone, while the intermediate portion thereof lies within said degreasing zone, a conveyor arranged to pass along a path adjacent to the top of said trough, said conveyor being provided throughout its length with a plurality of spacedly-disposed. rigidlymounted members shaped to occupy substantially the major portion of the cross section of said trough, said members during movement of said conveyor being adapted to forcibly charge articles through said trough and said degreasing and condensing zones.

absorbent articles with a volatile grease solvent comprising, in combination, a vessel, a solvent degreasing zone in said vessel, wherein a volatile grease solvent in both liquid and vaporous state is retained and through which articles passduring treatment in said vessel and zone, means for vaporizing said solvent, further means for condensing the vaporized portion of said solvent when it reaches a predetermined level in the degreasing zone of said vessel, means for passing condensate from said condensing means directly to said degreasing zone, a trough disposed in said vessel and so shaped that its extremities extend above said solvent degreasing zone, while the intermediate portion thereof lies within the' degreasing zone, and a traveling chain arranged to pass along a path adjacent to the top of said trough, said chain being provided throughout its length with a plurality of spacedly-arranged grid members rigidly disposed at right angles to said chain and shaped to occupy substantially the major portion of the cross section of said 3. A degreasing apparatus fortreating metal and like non-absorbent articles with fluids, comprising in combination a vessel, a treating zone therein in which a volatile grease solvent in liquid and vaporous state is retained and through I which articles pass during treatment insaid vessel and zone, means for vaporizing said solvent, additional means for condensing the vaporized solvent when the vapors reach a predetermined level in the treating zone of said vessel, means associated with said condensing means for retuming condensate to that portion of the solvent which is in liquid state, means for conveying articles through said treating zone comprising a trough shaped so that its ends extend above the treating zone while the intermediate portion lies within it, and a travelling chain arranged to pass along a path adjacent to the top of the trough, which chain is provided with members spaced apart along its length and projecting into the trough so as to cause articles placed therein to travel along it,

4. An apparatus" for treating metal and non-absorbent articles with a volatile grease sol vent comprising in combination a vessel, a solvent degreasing zone in said vessel, in which is retained a volatile grease solvent in both liquid and vaporous state and through which articles pass during treatment insaid vessel and zone, means for vaporizing said solvent, additional means for condensing the vaporized solvent when the vapors reach a predetermined level in the degreasing zone, means associated with said condensing means for returning condensate to that portion of the solvent which is in liquid state, a trough shaped so that its ends extend above the solvent degreasing zone while the intermediate portion lies within the said zone, a travelling chain arranged to pass along a path adjacent to' the top of the trough, which chain is provided with members spaced apart along its length and projecting into the trough so as to cause articles placed therein to travel along it.

5. An apparatus for treating metal and like non-absorbent articles with a volatile grease solvent comprising in combination a vessel, a treating zone in said vessel wherein a volatile grease solvent in both liquid and vaporous state is retained and through which articles pass during their treatment in said vessel, vaporizing means in the lower part of said vessel for supplying solvent vapor, condensing means in the upper part of said vessel'to limit the solvent vapor level and thereby set up a solvent vapor zone, means for passing condensate from said condensing means to that portion of the solvent which is inthe liquid state, a trough shaped so that its ends extend to the top of said vessel while the intermediate portion lies within the solvent vapor zone, a travelling chain arranged to pass along a path adjacent to the top of the trough, which chain is provided with members spaced apart along its length and projecting into the trough, so as to cause articles placed therein to travel along it.

6. An apparatus according to claim 5, provided with means for draining solvent from the trough.

7. An apparatus for treating metal and like non-absorbent articles with a volatile grease solvent comprising in combination a vessel, a treating zone in said vessel wherein is retained a volatile grease solvent in both liquid and vaporous condition and through which articles pass during treatment in said vessel and zone, vaporizing means for supplying solvent vapor to the lower part of said vessel, condensing means in the upper part of said vessel to limit upwardly the solvent vapor level and thereby provide a solvent vapor zone, means for passing condensate from said condensing means to the liquid portion of the solvent retained in said treating zone, a trough shaped so that its ends extend above the solvent vapor zone while the intermediate portion lies within thesaid zone, means for collecting condensate from the said condensing means, means for delivering said condensate to the intermediate portion of the trough, and a travelling chain arranged to pass within the apparatus 7 WALTER meson. 

